Ruby's Diary
by Iris Degloom
Summary: Ruby's diary here! Don't worry, she doesn't mind... I think. I don't really find any big secrets here... oh, there's one! Gasp! No way...
1. Chapter 1

**_Author's Note: _****Ha! Who knew how easy it was to post Ruby's diary entries? She would be happy to see how funny her days are to everyone! Besides, she left in my room for a good reason, didn't she? Maybe I shouldn't do this... so why I am clicking on the 'Submit button'? Oh well, you can also find this on my deviantArt profile but I'm gonna update here from now on. WHY?!**

**Well, I kinda wanna make it easier so I can post pictures of my adventures… and that's it, really.**

* * *

**_30th December 2013_**

Dear Diary,

I still remember the day I found you, just when I flopped on my beautiful bed after a long, tiring day. My jelly legs brushed against something hard just then, drawing my attention, and I twirled my limp body around so that I could rest on my aching stomach. I carefully reached under the bed frame, and I found myself holding a medium-sized box. You, a beautiful turquoise-colored book with a smiling white heart on the cover, cross bones flanking all four sides of the shape, were inside that box. My name was spelled out in neatly written gold letters. Mum said that I would write stories on any piece of paper I could reach, including my report cards, a loan application and even a dollar note—once. I guess Dad finally had enough and decided to get me this diary to jot down my personal thoughts. Thanks Daddy! A brief flip through the pages showed that they were blank. So, I pasted a rather hilarious picture on the first page, something that I'm able to laugh at, albeit with a slight blush. It's a photo of me sprawled on the floor amongst several pairs of legs. I was looking straight at the camera, my lips drawn back by half-formed words and an expression of pure surprise and incredulity was plastered on my face. They say that a picture conveys a thousand words and I couldn't agree more… this photograph tells the story of my mortifying yet magnificent tenth birthday.

Birthday celebrations with my friends usually took the form of a surprise party, with the normal chanting of birthday songs at the top of our voices and birthday gifts. Though, I wouldn't really call it a surprise party since I usually catch my friends red-handed because Iris has streamers attached to her spring shoes, making her fall and stumble. Or a balloon has burst into pieces because Misery had sneezed into it by accident. Sometimes, Doom marks the day on my personal calendar by mistake, reminding me. Frank and Len occasionally forget to keep it a secret, by singing their songs for me right in front of my bed, still in their pajamas. Scaredy usually is struck to the bone with fear, and trembles violently like a leaf on that day, for fear that the party may turn into a disaster. And he's usually holding a maraca. Poe tries to hide his presents in the kitchen cupboards, even though he knows that my oven mittens are there and I LOVE baking. Mr Buns already models his latest birthday hat and the dust bunnies do their marching drills extra early so that they do not disturb the party. Only Skull Boy can keep it a secret so he's usually in charge of the party and tries to hide the others' slip-ups. Emphasize on the word 'tries'. I even joked about it to him when I found out my 9th surprise birthday party through seeing the silhouettes of Squig and Iris, the latter performing her super cool triple, double, quadruple, flip skydive stunt, while waving a huge banner with huge, bright, neon words that screamed "You're nine years old, Ruby!".

That was probably my 2nd biggest mistake. My biggest mistake was saying, "Unless your ancestors could gather spies, I'll always know what's gonna happen on my birthday, Skulls." Then my tenth birthday arrived but much to my surprise, Skull Boy had invited me to join him for dinner at a cafe. That was what got alarm bells ringing in my head. Had he actually forgotten?! I just couldn't believe it, Diary, he was always so caring towards others most of the time… even when he was caught up in his revolving personas. Glum yums, I bet that if he were related to a long line of thieves, he would probably steal a million dollars as a birthday gift for a friend.

Then I looked into his eyes. They were two perfect jade stones with several other shades of green shimmering brightly and a few golden knives had stabbed into the otherwise lime orbs. Somehow, they reminded me that he would always be there for me, that he cared. Though I had to swallow several times before I could speak again, I somehow managed to regain my tenuous hold on my composure and, somehow, found the fortitude to face him again with a mega-watt smile.

That was when I saw Misery, walking under a scaffolding, and a bucket of paint fell on her head, covering from head to toe in pink paint. Misery stopped, and before I could help her with my towel, she shrugged it off, and shuffled to the hot-air balloon. She didn't even care that her favorite metallic grey swing tunic was ruined, so I asked Skulls why was she in such a hurry and he told me that Misery was going to meet up with one of her relatives at a restaurant in Singapore.

Next, I found Iris rubbing the doorknob four times before leaving the house. I knew she only did that for luck. I had no idea why she was dragging a sleeping Frank and Len along with her and hoisting them up on Squig. I couldn't help but wonder where they were heading off to. Skull Boy must have read my mind then and answered its question. Apparently, she, Frank and Len were going to Monstropolis to watch a concert live from Tibet. I hoped that they would have a great time. Those rockers practically live and breathe music! Iris should love Monstropolis, I heard that it was a great place to ride the waves and she had been dying to try surfing.

Scaredy Bat soon emerged, with his usual, tall stack of suitcases, Poe perched on the top. Skulls explained that Poe was going to the International Poetry Recitation and needed someone to accompany him on the most terrifying mode of transportation, so Scaredy happily volunteered, mainly because he heard that Boo-Boo was going to haunt him. I kinda think that poor Poe's phobia of trains is the only one really haunting but I know that Boo-Boo is gonna be a bona fide ghost one day, once he gets rid of those chubby cheeks and cute eyes.

The housemate who had the most bizarre reason for leaving was my own very best friend in the animal kingdom, Doom Kitty. She was actually munching on some... GORGONLIMBURGERAZOLA! I was more than ready to gag when I saw Gloomsville's smelliest cheese. The stink fumes even blurred my vision for a while but I could clearly see Skull Boy's skull scrunching up into a frown. This time, Skulls couldn't tell me what was happening, since Doom can only pantomime. She pretended to be eating a lot, and started waving a banner that red, 'GO CHEESE'. Strangely, Doom was going to meet up with our old friend Albert, the fussy mice, at a Cheese convention. She promised that she would send our greetings to him.

I realized that it was only Skull Boy and me going to dinner. Alone. You would think that I was probably ecstatic over that. In a way, yes. Yet, I couldn't ignore that sinking feeling... especially when we went down a rabbit hole. The scent of fresh sugarplum biscuits told me that we were heading to the Mad Hatter's Tea Shoppe, and I suddenly got very hungry. Teapots on every table whistled in unison, almost drowning out the upside down clocks ticking away above countless doors. We had chosen a door that resembled a coffin and entered a room. The floor was covered with tattered, moth-eaten rugs and the ceiling hosted dusty, grimy class chandeliers. The paint on the walls appeared to be peeling away, revealing old-fashioned plaster and lath behind it. There was even the subtle scent of dust, mildew, and decay.

Best. Place. Ever!

We took our time and tried to avoid the flower waiters in their black tuxedoes prancing around with menus, dishes and drinks in their vines and petals. From that point onwards, dinner proceeded smoothly. The ambience had set me at ease and the conversation between me and Skull Boy flowed easily… even though I was dying to know if he actually remembered my birthday. Sometimes, I tapped against the table and performed the birthday song but he was oblivious to it. Eventually, I gave up because I started getting blisters… and I didn't really want to find out if... my theory was true. I just couldn't. Not now. I guessed that I would be lucky if I get a seventy-fie cent card with postage due from him. And then I told myself, that he had already organized so many parties just for everyone. And he had always been there for me, no matter what. Maybe he was just having a bad day. Sometimes, I forget things because my schedule is packed.

Soon, I was so engrossed in one of the anecdotes that he was recounting, that I failed to pay attention to the pointed looks exchanged between the mad hatter himself and the Cheshire Cat, who was grinning like... a Cheshire Cat. Then a polite cough stopped our chat and Skull Boy fell into a fit of chuckles. I spun around in the direction of the pointed interruption and gaped at the row of waiters lined up behind me. In addition to their aprons and yellow uniforms, they were all wearing headgears in varying degrees of silliness and my heart thumped at the sight of the whistles and pompoms in their hands.

Before I could say a word, the manager had stepped forward to announce to the customers, "Well, you can knock me down with a feather but you shouldn't tickle me with fur, I'm already bursting my ribs with the birthday girl in cool socks." Cheshire Cat did tell me that he was taking his pills daily. Cheers and whoops came from amused patrons, and Skulls even clapped like a maniac.

I was quickly deposited onto a chair set up in the middle of the room, and could only watch with burning cheeks, as the cafe employees proceeded to surround me like a group of proverbial red Indians. With a generous dose of shrill whistling and shaking pompoms, they performed their special, in-house version of a birthday song. The words escaped me for I was too busy shooting pitiful looks towards Skull Boy whose funny bone was probably guffawing at that moment. In the midst of the song, I was even made to don a hot pink ballerina's tutu to the hollers of an increasing enthusiastic crowd. My embarrassment was complete, or so I thought.

I was quickly corrected when, hasty to dismount from my perch at the end of the interminable song, I made a wrong step to my right. I could only watch as the ground came up to meet me, Skull Boy's look of horror, a man holding a camera and the faces of the waiters flashed past in slow motion. SMACK! I hoisted myself up to a camera flash and the sight of the people rolling on the floor in derisive laughter. Yes, NOW my embarrassment was complete.

You would think that this was the worst day ever. Nope… in fact, I may even consider going to that place daily. Maybe it's because I really loved the truffle fries, the vanilla milkshake was sweet, learnt that Skull Boy went through a lot of trouble just for me or because I gave him a kiss on the cheek and loved his reaction. 'Wait, wasn't he the cause of your bad day?' You may ask, diary peeper. Fine, I'll allow you to read until I sign off for my first entry. Then, be prepared for a whole swarm of bees. Basically, he helped me get up and started profusely apologizing for giving me the worst surprise party ever. Apparently, the sweetest skeleton in the world, had used up an entire year's savings to pay for the 'ritual' because ten cups of Earl Grey tea was equivalent to a hundred dollars. In Wonderland, at least. He had come to believe that I wasn't happy with the way he planned my birthday, especially after hearing my 'jokes'. So, after a month of scheming, he called up a band of several secret agents, whom he had helped countless of times. according to him. Soon, those spies introduced themselves and, they were actually the most infamous monsters in history! I was tingling with excitement when I met Frankenstein, Dracula, Nessie, and The Mummy. They owed him a favor because Skulls had retrieved Frankenstein's brain for the cute creature, given Dracula turtles' blood instead of human blood so he wouldn't be chased out of a village AGAIN, cleaned up the Loch Ness Monster's home after it was polluted by litter-bugs, and wrapped Mummy up when her bandages came loose.

I can't really remember what happened after that, but I do recall a plethora of emotions washing over me in tides. I even made a recipe out of them; 2 teaspoons of embarrassment, a pinch of confusion but the most important ingredient, 3 cups of Happiness. Mix well, and you get tears of joy. A lone tear slipped from my eyes but Skulls put two and two together and got five. "Don't cry Ruby. Really, Ruby, it'll be okay."

Déjà vu.

So I just wrapped my arms around him, giggling, because I realized that he did care, how stupid I was, and what a great boyfriend... I mean, boy who is a friend, he is. And I guessed that I was really excited because I... gave him a slight peck on the cheek. And I knew that I had done something drastic when he suddenly fingered that area and his eyes glazed over. I was also a victim of my own action. My stomach did a slight lurch. Actually, it was more like a little flip-flop plus other amazing acrobatic acts caused by the sudden swarm of butterflies. In my daze, I somehow manage to get a glimpse of Dracula using a sharp claw to poke Skulls and poor Skull Boy collapsed, bones scattered everywhere. I guess that snapped me out of my reverie and we went home, after thanking the Mad Hatter and Cheshire Cat. They must have put in a lot of effort in organizing the event. I hope they like my little surprise attached to their cheque. I heard that they were hunting high and low for Green Tea with Jasmine but Misery had overstocked her supply and wiped out the supermarket's shelves.

After waving good-bye to Frankenstein, who had helped me carry Skull Boy, he gained consciousness. "Ow, what happened?" He mumbled. I guess that's when the memories flooded his skull because he suddenly became red as a tomato but I grabbed him just before he was going to run into his room and explained everything. How I had come to believe that he had forgotten, realized that he did, and always loved everything he did for me just because I knew he cared for me. And I meant every word of my rather long talk. Including the fact that he could surprise me.

By the time I was done, Skulls was beaming with pride and opened his mouth to speak... until the others came. Misery had just saved her godmother, affectionately dubbed Auntie Morbid, from an attack of ravaging dust bunnies, Iris, Frank and Len were now banned from seeing another concert ever again, Scaredy and Poe were now both terrified of forget-me-nots and Doom had an entire load of Mozzarella cheese. So, to relax, we made pizza out of Doom's huge stock. Then, I suggested a cookout! Frank and Len prepared their Franktastic Burgers and LenFries, which aren't bad if you put enough ketchup, mustard and onions on them to disguise the taste. Their Frank and Beans were quite scrumptious, with that taste of Metal Classics from the 70s. We also had a softball game in the open field behind our house. We played until it was almost dark, and the stars were just coming out. Soon, it was time for me to open gifts. They were fantastic! I even got the elusive Metal Classic Hits of the 80s album from Iris! That girl knows me well! Then again, I had been rummaging through her cereal box if she had gotten it as a prize. We really had an exhausting yet fun day even though we were in other parts of the world. I've learnt three things on that day;

1) Your friends will always be there with you, supporting you like your skeletal system does. No bones about it.

2) Learn to laugh at yourself.

3) You can kiss your best friends on the cheek, like Skull Boy and I do. But we are only just very, very, good friends...! (He has taken to kissing my cheek often in moments of joy or gratitude. I just hope he doesn't do that to the others... it's just kinda awkward... nothing else... kinda...)


	2. Chapter 2

**_1st January 2014_**

Dear Diary,

It was the annual Gloomsville New Years Ball. And I was determined to make it the best ever! Well, until next time, of course. Invitations were sent out, and on New Years Eve, the Great Hall was decorated with streamers, colored lights, and tables laden with so much food, that they groaned under the weight. A huge ice sculpture of the Creepy Forest, where Yam and Ween first met, loomed over the utterly epic buffet. Glittering cobwebs and spiders dangled from the ceiling on invisible wires, and the dark marble floor, flecked with silver veins, made the dancers look like they were floating over the endless night. Frank and Len had set up a large stereo to play an assortment of music. Then, Frosty the Snowman, after I gave him his carrot nose, of course, was a fantastic singer, and he and Skeletunes jammed together... until Misery melted him by accident by accidentally pouring hot, piping tea onto him. Still, it gave RIP a chance to perform their best song ever. I honestly wasn't sure how we all managed to fit everyone in. Though, I think they mostly gathered outside since most people were around our age. A rides section had been set up at the open area just by the Still Alive tree, the inflatable place complete with a splendid slide, a mini Ferris Wheel, battery-operated motorcycles lined up in a proud, shining fleet by the side, and the grandest prize of all — a pirate ship that swung almost as high as the attic of our manor. Misery, Iris and I raced up the smooth sides of the bouncing castle and slid down like slippery eels before being assaulted by ninjas. We were each given swords and if we tickled a ninja, it will burst out of laughter. If a ninja tickled us however, we would bounce back to where we started. Eventually, we won and turns out, got first prize and a whole can of tuna. Doom's gonna be happy... and hungry. The guys managed to join us as we deliberated over which carriages to select for the train rides. Both Poe and Scaredy gave it a miss unfortunately, since the 'conductor' had a forget-me-not attached to his cap. Yet, they were oblivious to all else except for the oily smoke of muah chee, tea eggs, juicy burgers, bird seeds and roasted mosquitoes. Lured by those food items, they ran off to the nearest stall. Eventually, everyone except me and Doom joined them. She and I sat primly and solemnly on the Ferris Wheel until the countdown started.

In the background, I could hear the other as they began chanting the final ten seconds of the year. Their voices were mostly drowned out by the pounding of my heart in my ears but I could still hear them. I'm sure all of us had mixed feelings about a new year. On one hand, it mark a turning point in our lives, a time to pursue new opportunities and fresh experiences. On the other hand, sometimes, you should go changing if you want to. All I knew was that I was ready to face anything as long as my friends were with me. After all, friends are there for one another, especially in unfamiliar territories like the year 2014!

******_(Aw, ain't she the sweetest? – Iris Degloom)_**

* * *

**_2nd January 2014_**

Back to school again! I love a new school year! New lockers, new back-to-school clothes, new classes, and new friends! It's a first for everything... including first detention of the year for Iris when she accidentally blew up the Chemistry lab by dipping jellybeans into a bottle filled with explosive chemicals.

**_(IT WAS GOOD AND I DIDN'T REGRET IT! – Iris Degloom)_**

I even hosted a Welcome-back-to-school party, with a parade featuring dance performers, a marching band, fireworks, and jazz hands. After Doom and I carried the boxes, we hung out and killed time by checking out the other booths. Misery and Scaredy were doing face painting _(even though Misery spilt paint all over herself)_; Skull Boy was teaching everyone how to build sand castles, some of which would have looked pretty good if they hadn't been built next to Skull's sand cathedral with a working bell tower and miniature gargoyles. The best had to be Iris' performance. She flew over the carnival a couple of times to get everyone's attention before flying up into the sky until it sounded like her rocket boots stalled and she descended rapidly like a falling star. A huge gasp was sounded as it looked like she was going to crash. Then, she fired her rockets and executed loop-de-loops, backflips and other stunts!

I think the principal will soon forget about Iris' punishment if she crosses her fingers...!

******_(Fat chance. One of my rocket boots burnt her dress – A sad Iris Degloom)_**

* * *

**_5th January 2014_**

Dear Diary,

Iris and I were supposed to hang out in my room since it was raining, doing homework while the others went to their respective club venues. In the room, Iris flew about. Literally flew in the cyclops' case. Discussions ranged from Doom's bath to Doomsday, her birthday, not the end of the world... at least, Iris hoped because she hasn't won the 'ULTIMATE' prize. Honestly though, I think she has. She has won true friends who will stand by her through difficult times... like washing Squig.

**_(But Ruby, that doesn't have a trophy or medal or a badge...! – Iris Degloom)_**

Then I spotted IT. The brochure for Dragon Boating. The moment my eyes landed on the pictures, I knew that we were going to try it out tomorrow. It's an exciting team sport, where dragon boaters work together, rowing in tandem to the beat of the drums, to propel their boats in races against other teams. It'll be a true test of endurance and strength. I think it'll be fun to see how well we coordinate our rowing to ensure that the dragon boat moves quickly and smoothly. Iris was games when I told her this. So, time to gear up!

******_(WAHOO! – Iris Degloom)_**

* * *

**_6th January 2014_**

Dear Diary,

Well, we already had a test for our dragon boating skills that involved saving poor Scaredy.

**_(And we just passed, like 50/100! Yipes! – Iris Degloom)_**

When we came back from our first fun lesson, Skull Boy came to a conclusion that he was descended from a long line of bird watchers and created a bird park in less than 30 seconds. And almost everyone in Gloomsville was checking it out. Even tourists were in awe.

The first sight of visitors was a family, pushing their stately grandmother along in a wheelchair, walked slowly along the boardwalk that surrounded the Flamingo Lake, watching the solemn pink flamingoes as they stood on toothpick legs, beaks plunging into their brilliant feathers to primp and preen, or to scour the water to look for food. It was one of the most popular attractions but Frank and Len didn't really like it. The flamingoes probably reminded them of the Waka-Waka bird which they... had problems taking a photo of it. The little boy held on to the old lady's hand, chattering excitedly about the coolly imperious birds and she nodded along, as elegant as any flamingo herself. They moved slowly in order to avoid the masses of people that thronged the boardwalk along with them, pointing excitedly at the flock of flamingos' standing like a pink forest nearly within arm's reach. Soon, other birds caught our attention. The ostriches lolling ridiculously huge in the sand; the penguins shimming through the water as bright as coins, and the vultures glaring balefully high from the treetops. My favorite was the owlery, full of flickering feathers and hushed, cool, landscapes frozen behind glass. Dressed in white plumage with nothing but yellow eyes to distinguish them, they glared from the darkness. I guess that we were intruders to them.

Iris begged me...

**_(I didn't! I just resorted to the most shameless tactic! – Iris Degloom)_**

… to catch a bird show and over there, tourists and locals, all carefully positioned within the shade and mist fans, have filled the seats as they waited for it to begin. Much to our surprise, Skull Boy acted as an emcee of sorts,

"HELLO, GLOOMSVILLE!"

And then, geese wobbled onstage and parrots swooped through colorful plastic hoops held by audience members with the long-practiced ease of acrobats in a circus. Falcons and kites whistled through the air to seize thrown bits of meat catapulted upward by Skull Boy in a stunning display of power and agility. We clapped and cheered until our hands ached! I think Skulls finally noticed us in the crowds and waved at us to come over before whispering his idea. Apparently, we were going to be part of the act too! Iris was, of course, the first to try.

She kept a tight grip on the little container of liquid in her hand and a lorikeet landed on her wrist immediately and the bird dipped its curved beak in and began drinking hungrily with a bristly tongue. Other lorikeets began to perch on her shoulders and in her hair as she laughed enthusiastically. I followed her lead and Skulls taught me how to be gentle with the birds that alighted on my hands to sip from the nectar. It was so much fun that I almost didn't feel somebody tugging on my dress.

**_(Skulls being naughty? Hehe... – Iris Degloom)_**

It was Scaredy Bat. My tiny bat friend looked around with his large, innocent eyes, his single fang chattering nervously.

**_(McNuggets. Oh well, maybe next time, it'll be our skeleton. ;D– Iris Degloom)_**

"Er… Ruby, Skull Boy, may I please know why there are horrifying birds in my room, if you do not mind, that is? I am just... terrified of them!"

"Oh, it's gotta be the fried mosquitoes in your room, Scaredy. I'll clear them out for you. Sorry about that." Skulls snapped his fingers and he blew into his whistle.

And Scaredy shrieked and dove underneath the soil, digging a huge hole until he hit a pipe.

And the situation snowballed.

When he collided against the tube, we heard a huge rumbling sound. Then, a huge spray of water shot out, sending Scaredy to Gloomsville's port as we followed him and Skulls estimated where he would land. Problem was, Scaredy was even more terrified of the water than of birds. And you already saw how afraid he was of the little critters. I spotted a nearby dragon boat and pointed it to Iris and Skull Boy. They nodded and we rushed off just as we heard a splashing sound.

By the fifth time we rowed, our arms were starting to ache so we waited for Scaredy to hopefully resurface. When he bobbed to the surface, he managed to hoist himself onto a small rock sticking out of the water. We tried to row to him but we suddenly remembered...

**_(That we couldn't row in any other way other than forward – Iris Degloom)_**

… that we couldn't row in any other way other than forward.

**_(Jinx! She owes me a soda... not that I like them. How about lemonade? – Iris Degloom)_**

So, Skull Boy came up with the idea to tie our oars together with Iris' ribbon to make it long enough for Scaredy to reach, if he hadn't fainted that is. Lucky for us, he hadn't and the poor bat clung to the oars like they were life preservers. Then, SKULLS had to row us back. And he didn't ever think that he could be related to a long line of sailors... awkward...!

**_(Yeah, that was really embarrassing. – Iris Degloom)_**

At least Scaredy was safe, that's all that matters.

* * *

**_8th January 2014_**

Dear Diary,

There was a huge competition in the cafeteria today. A huge eating competition between RIP and Gary the Giant. Apparently, Gary claimed that no one could eat as much as him and Frank and Len were self-proclaimed champions of eating so, well, you get the idea, don't you? Point is, if RIP lost, all guitars and memories of ten would have to be destroyed!

When they heard the hunchbacks ringing the bells, Frank and Len swiped one of the styrofoam plates from a nearby bag, and immediately set to work, scooping up approximately ten of everything they saw. Only when their plate looked like it would collapse under the weight did they, apparently, consider it adequate.

Yet, Gary the Giant easily devoured the gigantic bowl of soup, which was as large as a swimming pool. He mopped up the bowl with a loaf of bread, the size of a hot-air balloon. He pierced an enormous chunk of cheese with a super-size fork that looked more like a pitchfork. He spat out the huge rind before letting out a reverbs ring burp that made his windows shake. Finally, he cleaned his teeth using the trunk of a dead tree as a toothpick and chugged down thirteen gallons of water in one gulp.

But I had a trick up my sleeve. _Mwahahaha.*_

Particularly, one of Misery's dishes with frog gibbets, squid tentacles and termites in them. She claims that it tastes like chicken and it's easy to pack. I vouch for her!

**_(Wait... Ruby... ate... that?! Wow, she really can't say no to anyone! – Iris Degloom)_**

The moment he took a minuscule nibble of it, he started looking green about the gills. To cut a long story short, I'm a guitar hero!

_*Iris claimed that I could never do an evil laugh so I'm gonna start practicing! It'll be fun pretending to be a villain who is determined to rule the world! I can see my goals clearly!*_

******_(Really, Ruby? Really? That's like getting Skulls to stop finding out who he is. It's impossible! Silly girl! Haha! Be prepared to go on a date with... well, I'll find a decent guy. As long as Skull Boy approves. Other words, you might actually NOT go on the date but I'm the one setting you up, NOT him!– Iris Degloom)_**

* * *

**_10th January 2014_**

**_(Oh, I hate this day. I actually lost the bet. – Iris Degloom)_**

I WON THE BET!

**_(Yeah, rub it in, will ya? - Iris Degloom)_**

Doom's lessons really paid off! I managed to get a coat of infinite darkness, spiked heels and wicked gear. Then, she trained me how to take over the house! Everyone was just as scared as Scaredy was of his own shadow!

Except Poe who simply asked if I wanted to rehearse for my new film, 'Like Doom Kitty dragged in'. He had just walked in and didn't even realize that he had just stopped a villain. I guess I succumbed to my desire and soon, my evil lair was transformed into a stage set. Eventually, everyone forgot about it... except Iris who had to give me...

**_(WHY?! - YOU KNOW WHO I AM!)_**

A BRAND NEW JETPACK!

**_(Sniff)_**

But there was something strane about Skull Boy. The moment I brandished my cool cape, he froze and for a moment, I swore his stricking emerald eyes became... crimson red. I tried asking him but he looked away, mumbling something about me not knowing would be good. I just wished that I could cheer him up but I understood that he probably would tell me soon. It would just take some time.

**_(Maybe he wants you to give Iris her jetpack back! – Somebody)_**


	3. Chapter 3

**_12th January 2014_**

Dear Diary,

Skull Boy has been a little quieter than usual and I'm not sure why. I think maybe he's stressing out over school and grades or what happened recently. Maybe he hated that cape because it clashed with my red hair. At that time, he claimed to be related to a long line of models. Anyway, I wanted to cheer him up but something told me a party won't do. Maybe just a little something to show that he's appreciated and he means the whole world to us. After all, we forget that there's air around us and we sometimes take our friends for granted.

So, we decorated his locker so that it would be better than any other locker that ever existed in the history of lockers! While they were small, something told me that it would put a smile on his skull. Like...

• High-quality bone magnets

To hang up his notes, school-related or searching-family-related. And magnets are far more responsible than tape, since they don't leave any sticky residue. Might tell him that because he prefers tape to anything else that can be used to stick something. Ask Poe later.

• Shelf paper

It can cover up that drab-colored locker shelf. Research shows that 87.9% of students spill stainable substances, and I think Skulls takes a good chunk of that percentage, judging from the strawberry jam in between his toes.

• Air freshener

After inhaling stinky fumes from Mad Science class, he would love nothing more than to smell lavender and rosemary! Well, I know I would.

• A BAZILLION photos of us!

By us, I mean the gang and him. Not me and him. Only he and I have those anyway... sigh!

To top it all off, there was a huge pile of candy and assorted decorations inside... and later, we found out, Misery's precious salt shaker that was salvaged from the Great Fire of London of 1666.

And Skull Boy was walking towards his locker!

So Frank and Len distracted him, under the alias of Norbert Rufus Donald Edwardo, a famous volcanologist. Everyone was hoping that they could convince Skulls that he was a descendant of a long line of volcanologists as Misery started trying to open his combination with her shaky fingers. (It's hard to do so when you have frostbite from going to Antarctica to see your sister twice removed but the reunion was heart-warming.)

From down the hall, I could hear Frank putting on a Southern drawl,

"Well, howdy! Nobert's the name and volcanology's my game, yeah!"

Good new was, Misery eventually got it open, dug through all the streamers, and found it. Thank goodness!

Bad news? Skulls easily saw through Frank and Len and saw us rummaging through the locker. I told him that we wanted to do something nice for him because he's such a good friend, and Frank and Len pretended to be his idol because we didn't finish before the bell rang. And then he smiled…that big, awesome smile I loved.

There was just one tiny, eensy, bitsy problem. He kinda kissed my cheek in front of everyone.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I love it when he kisses me, though I kinda wish it was on another part of my face, like, my lips? That, and nobody knew of our recently developed tradition.

So... Iris, please don't spread rumors. Even though I wish that they were true.

**_(I KNEW IT! I gotta post this! Finally, some juicy stuff! Most entries were filled with doodles, movie and recipe ideas, lists of homework and... skulls? Huh? – Iris Degloom_**)

* * *

**_13th January 2014_**

Ok, I've gotta prepare Doom's bath now. Let's go through my checklist again...

• Iodine

• Bandages

• Gauze

• Bullwhip

• Strait-jacket, extra small

• Helmet

• Brass knuckles

• Rope

• Elbow pads

Great! So, the bathing equipment is all that's left… I hope Misery still has that bottle of rosemary pet shampoo which she used to wash her Aunt Morose's pet, Tanya, the Tasmanian Devil. If she has finished bandaging herself. I helped her out with her arms and legs but I couldn't do anything else.

How did it happen? Well, we were sailing at the Gloomsville beach. It went pretty well until the wind started blowing viciously.

_Note to self: Don't bring Misery along when she's having the hiccups._

Our boat nearly tipped over. Somehow, during the high winds, our cooler fell into the ocean. So, Frank and Len jumped in after it with their guitar as a surfboard which surprisingly worked. The mystery of how they even managed to get their guitar floating was solved when I took one glance at Skull Boy, who was grinning widely and playing with a remote control during Frank and Len's adventure. Once they got the cooler back on the deck of the boat, however, we discovered that it wasn't even ours. It was full of live crabs. However, at least I have discovered the formula to one of life's mysteries;

Misery + Crabs = Total Chaos

* * *

**_14th January 2014_**

Dear Diary,

I ran the dishwasher after getting Doom off it, scrubbed the kitchen counters with a brusher, evacuated the dust bunnies before dusting the banister since they wanted to move houses, neatly arranged the cobwebs in one of the corners of the walls where Misery usually counts them, ran some laundry through the washer and sorted out kite materials from cute tops and dresses, cleaned all the windows inside and out before placing the dust bunnies there, threw the clothes into the dryer, scrubbed and vacuumed the floors after releasing the dust bunnies to feast on some old furniture outside. Tending to the weeds so that they would grow faster. I spent all morning doing this and more, before I finally collapsed on the couch.

Then I realized that nobody ever cleaned the house... so why did I do that?

* * *

**_15th January 2014_**

Dear Diary,

Studying Mercutio's famous "Queen Mab" speech has become a rite of passage for students, but we've got to admit that the fantastical speech is a bit baffling to us, in a fun way.

**_(Yeah, for you - Iris Degloom)_**

According to Mercutio's vivid description, Queen Mab is a tiny fairy that rides around in a coach made out of an "empty hazelnut" with spider's "legs" for wheel spokes. The coach is driven by an even tinier "grey-coated gnat" and drawn by a team of little atoms.

Queen Mab spends her time galloping over the noses and lips of sleepers, filling their dreams with wild fantasies, with lovers dreaming of love, soldiers dreaming of slitting throats, lawyers dreaming of winning lawsuits. However, when she's in a bad mood, she plagues women who dream of "kisses" with nasty cold sores. I think all that Queen Mab needs is a party to liven her up and dance the night away. And great company, like her loyal friends who help her visit our dreams. Speaking of which, I better make sure my dream is presentable. I wonder what type of dream I'll have tonight.

******_(You kissing Skulls! Come on Ruby! Admit it already! - Iris Degloom)_**

* * *

**_16th January 2014_**

The mega mall stood like a proud father in the middle of the shopping district, puffing out its chest by throwing its doors open. Throngs of shoppers flooded the malls in search of the best bargains. Gold and platinum credit cards changed hands constantly at cashiers coupled with the 'cha-ching' of cash registers signaling yet another sale. The agonized faces of alpha males waiting for their girlfriends and wives were clearly seen everywhere in the women apparel section. Including my male friends.

So I gave them a mall scavenger hunt to keep them preoccupied!_ (Skulls, or should I say Captain Skull Boy, nearly wanted to bomb the area and steal a parrot from a pet store. Iris, why did you bring your canon along?!)_

**_(For fun! I didn't know it could be used as a weapon! – Iris Degloom)_**

I made a list of 10 things that they each needed to take pictures of, and once they were done, they had to meet up at the food court and tabulate their scores.

Here was the list:

1. An old lady holding a baby on an escalator. One point awarded.

2. A girl trying on super high-waisted jeans. 2 points awarded.

3. A heel bigger than six inches. 3 points awarded.

4. A man in cowboy boots, a cowboy hat and a gun. 4 points awarded. (Call the police if he starts brandishing the weapon)

5. A sales associate wearing WAY too much makeup. 5 points awarded. (Don't stare too long)

6. A bottle of perfume that cost more than $100. 6 points awarded. (Bring a sample if you can)

7. A cute couple with one of them being a red-head on a date. 7 points awarded. Win game if the women tells you how a girl should get her best boy friend as her boyfriend.

8. A cat doing the Harlem Shake, 8 points awarded. (Doom Kitty, 5 o'clock in the evening)

9. A clown in a mini car, 9 points awarded.

10. Poe near a train set. You win the game already!

Len eventually won the game, by tricking poor Poe to go and check out the Locomotive, one of the biggest train sets in the mall. He lost $10 when he had to pay for Poe's bandages but at least everyone was okay. Maybe I should just get them to watch a puppet show next time.

* * *

**_28th January 2014_**

Dear Diary,

Remember you wondering what would be my worst day ever? Well, today was the worst day ever. On hindsight, it was possible to laugh. Yet, Iris has now stopped juggling baby elves, Skull Boy is helping Frank and Len nurse their injuries, Poe's 'creative' juices have stopped flowing, Scaredy has fainted, Doom is fanning him and I am certainly not the happiest girl in the world right now as we await Ms Glinda's rage. Everyone was helpless to prevent the onslaught of problems on that day in Horror High.

Achievement Day, 2014, is one of the grandest nights of the school year, with prefects ushering parents to watch their children receive awards and the performing arts groups presenting their finest pieces. Alumni members and honored guests were also part of the festive crowd. As the head organizer of the event, I had drawn up stage plans, coordinated all performers, arranged the items, and settled a myriad of details.

So, at least you know why I've kinda abandoned you. Sorry for neglecting you, dear diary. I'll try not to do that again.

Anyway, on that night, I made my rounds around the entire backstage area, ensuring that everything was in position, doing a roll call... using Iris as a megaphone.

"Okay people, we're on in ten minutes. Go, go, GO!" She exclaimed.

Misery was helping Skull Boy with the lights because she was, well, attracting a lot of electricity that provided a lot of energy. Skulls just had to position her very carefully. The one time he left her unattended, I got an electric shock but it was fantastic! My head was a host of fiery, uneven curls thanks to that jolt. Some were small and spirals, some were medium and tight, some were loose, and some were whopping barrel curls. I loved it!

There was a mad scramble as all the group leaders of the respective clubs lined up. We could hear the teachers, parents, and other students filing into the school hall for the event. I grinned in anticipation as Frank and Len, the student emcees began to address the audience,

"Good afternoon, everyone! What's up?" Frank greeted everyone, until Len answered,

"Well, the lights for the drama, dance and choir performance, Skull Boy who is in charge of the lights and sound, and Ruby with her cute curls. Wow, I'm surprised Skull Boy hasn't made a mistake yet, with her around as a nice distraction," He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at that, "in fact, no boy has flirted with her. Just wait until the end…"

"Len! Stick to the... wait, nobody has seen Ruby… oh boy, oh boy! Things will heat up when she comes … OW!"

You would think that this is where my troubles started, when Skulls threw Doom's favorite ball of yarn _(filled with dust bunnies now) _at them and she tackled them to the ground. Of course not! It happened AFTER Frank and Len got out of Doom's clutches.

"Sorry, anyways, Achievement Day is, like, the pithiest of the best celebrations in the year where we commemorate our student's various winnings in the various activities. Be prepared to be dazzled by our upcoming performances, and be proud of your child, fellow classmate or student when they receive their prize. But first, let's meet the man who created this day!"

That was when the horror started. They pumped their fists into the air. Oh yes, that gesture drew lots of laughter from the crowd and some even returned it. Too bad it knocked the glass of water over the notes and microphone. A slight hiccup, and they were mortified until a new microphone came. It was then the Guest-of-Honor came. His speech drenched, he ad-libbed his way through the talk. Unfortunately, by the time he had gotten through his third childhood anecdote, even the principal was getting impatient.

It went downhill rapidly.

The order of prizewinners got confused and both Frank and Len were reading out names that did not fit,

"The Best Swimmer goes to Shif!"

A bewildered giant in her tutu paused, causing a small earthquake on stage as laughter, though quickly stifled, swept through the crowd. It did not help when a small elf in the crowd caused quite a commotion by throwing up rainbows in the aisle. Misery and Iris unwillingly had to clean up the mess and escort the parents and child to the Prefect Room to rest. Frank announced the choir performance with a flourish… and the curtains remained absolutely shut. The next time, Len announced it again, emphatically, and the curtains inched forward for only the stage members to see the choir still hurrying into position; distracted by the child, they had missed their cue.

They finally streamed onto the stage, and the members of the choir stood in rows. Those at the back stood on an elevated platform to ensure that they could be seen. They began with a melodic and beautiful piece. However, just as the voices reached a resounding crescendo, everyone heard a jarring crack! As we watched with rising fear, the platform suddenly gave way, and the singers at the back sank down in a cloud of dust bunnies. Thankfully, the platform was low and no was hurt, but the audience was filled with mirth. The choir retreated, embarrassed and upset. I gasped,

"Oh no! Are they ok?"

The worst thing was that although I was in charge, I could not help them once they were on stage. So I did the next best thing,

"Ok, drama members, perform!"

It was a thrilling play, about a girl who wields a magic sword and defeats great enemies. I was leaning on the huge plastic prop that was lying against the wall, pleased that the event was progressing well at last. Then, it hit me.

What was I leaning on?!

I looked and my heart sank. I had the great, magic sword! I had helped the protagonist hold it while he was adjusting his costume, and both of us had forgotten it. Without the most important prop, the play came to a sudden awkward halt halfway. I could only watch miserably. After a short, embarrassed silence, the protagonist impulsively sprinted into the wings, grabbed the sword from me, and rushed back out. The play was ruined by then, for the audience was practically rolling on the floor from derisive laughter.

We ended with a disastrous dance routine. Rendered nervous by the unexpected failures of the previous items, the performers messed up their steps and the dance featured a spectacular face-first by the lead dancer. By the time the crew played 'What's the big deal?' (Misery and Skull Boy honestly had no idea how that got into the school system) instead of the school song, I managed to get a glimpse of the principal's face. She had at least stopped looking furious but was now grimly resigned.

Oh no, she's here...

******_(Ruby, you will be fine. We'll all help you, promise. – A supportive Iris Degloom)_**

* * *

Principal Glinda, a magic sorcerer from another land that she called Oz, opened her mouth presumably to give both Councillors and performers the talking-to of a lifetime, when Misery popped in, twisting her pinafore in terror, and hiding her face. There was a good reason, her face was swelling up like a balloon. She whipped out a chalkboard that screamed the words,

"Several others, including myself, had an allergic reaction to Poe's nuts and birdseed at the buffet."

"What? I didn't serve any nuts or birdseeds!" He squawked.

So the principal called me to her office. Iris nearly strangled her while trying to help me. She is one great but dangerous friend.

**_(I know— Iris Degloom)_**

The room had the exact things I expected of a headmaster's room; a well-worn sofa, matching chairs, a fireplace complete with a portrait of Horror High's founder, immense wood desk, expectedly immaculately clean with a quill. Where were the dust bunnies when you needed to squeeze them?!

******_(I knew I should have brought one along! – Iris Degloom)_**

* * *

**_29th January 2014_**

When she first arrived, almost all of us thought that we had it made. After all, the infamous skeletal dragon lady of the school teaching staff, Ms Skelitta, was now replaced by a petite lady who looked as if she had walked out of a Victorian novel. Yet, nobody knew why Ms Skelitta was gone. I did. It was because of me. Ms Glinda refused to believe anything that I've said about her.

**_(It wasn't your fault! Ruby, please don't be upset. :C – Iris Degloom)_**

Everything about the new teacher, Ms Govin, showed her as a demure and genteel lady. From her horned-rimmed glasses to her shy manner, she was the epitome of the 'bully-able' teacher. Ms Glinda introduced her as a fresh graduate from the teachers' training centre. The former warned us against playing any pranks on her, to which we all exhibited slight shock at such a slight possibility.

Once the principal had left the room, Ms Govin literally stripped off her mask of civility and turned a cold eye on us before transforming behind a green cloud.

Normally, I wouldn't judge a book by its cover so I mostly ignored how she looked. Besides, at that time, I thought that she would be a good teacher. The others however, were horrified by her appearance. Iris claimed that she was hideous, with that sinister smile. Her hair was lank and lusterless, falling around her like strings of rotting straw, according to her. The teacher's lupine eyes, savage and cunning, only came to life when she listed class rules that she expected us to follow — all 101 of them. They perched above her hawkish and hooked nose, from it sprang the most preposterous wart, at least the size of a saucer, Frank noted.

Before we had even started to breathe from her long list of do's and don'ts, she launched straight into the lesson. A subject as interesting as History began to weigh heavily on us as she lectured on the subject in an expressionless manner. Even Ms Skellita's usually strict style of management was tempered by her lively discussions of historical events with us. Misery's arms weren't the only ones aching this time as she insisted we copied notes from her lesson. When the bell rang, we all heaved a collective sigh of relief.

It may have been a bad start but maybe tomorrow, we'll realize how great she is... :D

**_(Yeah, right...)_**


	4. Chapter 4

**_30th January 2014_**

Dear Diary,

I stand corrected.

She is... slightly... mean.

Oh my gosh! I can't believe I just wrote that! She could be hurt by my insensitive comment! :O

**_(Well, she does seem to be a psychic... – Iris Degloom)_**

She seemed to relish the idea of throwing books at us when she was displeased with their work done. Reasons for such displeasure ranged from our usage of a lighter shade of pencil lead to the margins being drawn too wide or too narrow. When she thought that Iris was nodding off during her interminable lectures.(Honestly, I couldn't really blame her there, Iris HATES sitting still and she probably knew that from the other teachers), she would viciously throw pieces of chalk or even the blackboard duster to wake her up. There was no room for explanation. Once she was angry, punishment were dealt out swiftly and mercilessly.

But there was something odd. Skulls seemed... angry... and the teacher didn't even punish him. Now that I've mentioned it, I noticed that the teacher was... AFRAID of him. When Frank asked if he and Len could go to the bathroom, she allowed them but asked them to stand outside when they returned because they took too long. Yet, the moment Skulls mentioned he needed to do his business, she immediately gave him permission and actually wrote on his notes so that he wouldn't miss anything! And he took 30 minutes!

Then, after school, Skulls practically grabbed me and dragged me out of the place but since I knew it was Skulls, I didn't even bother asking where were we going.

The Wonderland cafe.

I bit my lip anxiously, not knowing where to begin or how to help out my silent skeletal friend. So as we were running, I squeezed his shoulders, trying my best to cheer him up,

"Look, I don't know what you're going through right now—and you don't have to tell me until the time is right or when we get there or whatever—but, I just wanted you to know... I'm so honored that you wanted me to come along and—"

"Ruby," He interrupted with a wince but I ignored it. I just wanted to pour out my feelings.

"—I'll do _everything_ that I—"

"No, wait a sec—"

"—can to help you through whatever this is. So, Skulls—"

"Ruby, it's not—"

"—I'm just really _touched_ that you trust me—"

"I JUST WANT TO GET RID OF THE NEW TEACHER! SHE ALREADY TORTURED ME IN THE ORPHANAGE, I'M NOT LETTING HER TORTURE MY FRIENDS!" He exclaimed just as we jumped into the rabbit hole.

My jaws dropped and I swore that a floating tea bag nearly went in.

Orphanage?

**_(Orphanage? – Iris Degloom)_**

I guess I kinda froze like a statue because Skulls was worried that I had fainted until I snapped out of it. And my first words were,

"Really?"

He sighed before saying, "Yes, she was the one who punished me after… that incident."

I already knew what he was referring to. Why he left for Gloomsville.

On that gloomy day, he was being bullied but unlike other times where he would just walk away, her surged to his feet with some half-formed plan of vengeance in his mind. Skull Boy gathered his strength and with cold efficiency, concentrated on the bones that supported the behemoth bullies' ludicrous bodies and brought their attempted punch to a halt. Their intended attack was abruptly halted when the gang leader was inexplicably flung back and pressed to the ground. His cronies' limbs were twisted and contorted in a macabre frenzy as they were forced into a kneeling position. According to him, no one reacted as all present were too stunned, unable to process or even comprehend what was happening. However, Skull Boy was bent on having his revenge. Soon, the whole place became a cacophony of screams as horrible, terrifying pressure began to build in their heads. Their visions doubled and blurred as they struggled to grasp the full extent of what was occurring, Skull Boy knew that. However, rather than easing up, Skull Boy intensified his assault, heedless to an unknown passerby's pleas for him to stop. He closed his hand into a tight fist, with the full intention of squeezing off every bone in their body.

Then that passerby caught hold of his wrist in a vise-like grip, momentarily shaking the hold he had on the humans he loathed. Tears of futility spilled over his cheeks as he visibly struggled with the uncontainable hatred rolling inside him as he maintained his control over them but did not intensify it. When he finally let go, the decision was still draining his emotions as he fell to his knees with gasping tears while the mysterious stranger grabbed him in a comforting embrace, watching him fall apart. It was at that moment my father decided to bring Skull Boy to start all over in Gloomsville. However, a certain headmistress strongly objected to this, insisting that Skull Boy should be in a boys' home. Eventually, my daddy won and Skull really did change.

Still, when I remembered the headmistress and how he described her once, my head made the connection.

"No way..."

"Way. We'll just figure it out soon, just don't tell the others…" Skulls simply replied.

Sounded easy right? It was... until we finished our iced teas.**_ (Yummy!)_**

For the barbecue party today, I set the dining table with hypersonic speed, _FINALLY_ breaking my previous record. Placemats, with plates, cutlery and glassware were all perfectly placed and aligned in just five seconds as Skull Boy delivered huge pitchers filled with lemonade while Poe brought oversized serving bowls full of potato salad, coleslaw and barbecued beans to the table. Iris and Misery placed apple pies on the table and while the main course had yet to be served, everyone could already smell it: barbecued rib. They were slowly cooking in a huge oven that sat on the counter. It was one of Skull Boy's many inventions, clad in shiny, burnished stainless steel, with his smiling face stenciled next to the words "Ribmatic 3000_". _While we were waiting, Iris had suggested playing 'Truth or Dare'.

"Alright, y'all" Iris said in anticipation, rubbing her hands together, "After ten years, we are about to have a game of Truth or Dare! And by complete, I mean a complete set of players." She smiled at the sight of the whole group together, sitting near the fire.

"So, without further a due…" Skulls elaborated, imitating a game show host as a megaphone popped out from his pockets and into his gloved hands, "We shall meet our contestants!"

Doom and Poe posed, with my feline friend smoothing her collar and Poe adjusting his monocle before holding up a signboard that red, 'Participants'.

"First…" he began, standing at the front of the couch, "We have the lovely, Ruby!" He introduced, pressing a button on the nearby Cathedral radio, giving off the sound of applause and whistling. "A returning player to the game, she's the happiest girl…, in the world who enjoys baking, making new friends, and basically anything to get her creative mind going." Skulls grinned, as I giggled, finding amusement in his impersonation of a game host.

"Next…" He said, moving past me to my energetic cyclops friend bouncing up and down to touch the ceiling, "We have the energetic, never backing down on a dare, and has basically visited every galaxy and tried out every game that seems fun and slightly dangerous, IRIS!"

Skulls pushed another button on the radio, with a wild burst of applause as Iris somehow jumped from the chandeliers, to the couch and on the radio itself.

"And, another returning player, whom we haven't seen for a while, is back from therapy and is ready to take on all comers. An aspiring film director, RIP's awesome drummer who can give a beat, and slightly scared of, well, basically, everything…. Scaredy!"

Even when Skull Boy turned down the volume, the sheer magnitude of the noise dug into Scaredy's head like a dentist's drill and he had dove underneath the carpet, only to come out when he noticed a 'terrifying' dust bunny.

"Our next contestant is another returning player. Or players… I guess. We'll count them as one to avoid confusions." He continued, moving past Scaredy. "FRANK AND LEN!"

Frank slicked back his pompadour hair with one hand, while Len flexed his bicep with the other. "Hello, ladies!" Frank shot a model's grin as if he was looking into a camera. Skulls promptly pushed a button on his wrist, giving off the sounds of women screaming their affection and applauding.

"Both brothers love wearing punk-rock clothes and playing extremely loud music, so ladies, take note if you are pleased with that or completely disgusted." Skulls continued with the impromptu introduction.

"DUDE!" Len yelled, he and his brother aggravated as Skulls moved passed them. But to show them that there were no hard feelings, Skulls pushed another button on his wrist, this time giving off the sound of a girl screaming to him, "I want your body!" Frank and Len quickly forgot about Skulls, striking another masculine pose for the imaginary audience Skulls led him to believe was there. The skeleton grinned, knowing that they could take a joke.

"And last, but certainly not least…." He said, making his way to the end of the couch, "Misery." Skulls went to push the button on the radio, only to have it break by a burst of lightning. He looked over at Misery to see her usual passive stare. Skulls gave a nervous laugh, deciding to agree with Mother Nature's suggestion to dispense with the sound effects. "Another returning player. Her turn ons include dolls, family heirlooms and emergency kits."

"And now, please welcome your returning champion." He announced, as the lights went out, cueing a spotlight overhead. "The one, the only, SKULL BOY!" He outstretched his arms, welcoming applause, but only an uncomfortable silence followed. He looked over at the couch, and I couldn't help but give him a confused look, while the others stared at him, sharing the same unimpressed expression. Seconds passed, as Skulls just stood there with the spotlight on him, almost able to make out the sound of a cricket in the distance, as if even the storm had died down for one brief instant to make the moment even more awkward. "Okay, I'm done." He slumped, bringing his arms back down to his sides, tossing the microphone over his shoulder. "Now, who's ready to play?" he shouted enthusiastically, trying to reestablish the mood.

Everyone continued to swell with anticipation, as they tried to think of suitable questions and dares, so they'd be prepared for their turn.

"Ok. Ordinarily, the 'returning champion' reserves the right to go first." Skulls announced proudly, stressing his self appointed title. "But why don't we let…" He thought for a moment, considering who to pick.

Iris flailed her hand wildly in the air, like a kindergartener volunteering to help the teacher. "Ooh! Ooh! Pick me! Pick me! Please! Pick me!" She called.

Scaredy was the complete opposite, "Please do not pick me, please do not pick me…"

Misery was currently playing with Doll #1234, until his hat popped out and hit Frank and Len's shoulder. The brothers winced, surprised at how painful it was.

I quickly looked away, whistling as best as I could.

"Iris." Skulls pointed, causing her to leap from the couch in unbridled glee before settling down with poise.

"RUBY! Truth... or dare?!" She quickly chose.

Thus, my choices were narrowed down to cowardice, humiliation, and liar. I nervously glanced back and forth at the door, hoping for the bell to sound.

I had three choices. One, I could swallow my pride, get up, and leave right now. However, Iris would take offense to me ending the game before it began.

Two, I could take dare, and only hope Iris would make me do something that might seem embarrassing to me, but left both myself and the others clueless. Then again, I have been having bad luck that could give Misery a good run for her money.

Three, bite the bullet, and let her ask a question. She probably wouldn't ask anything too personal. Besides, if it was, I could always lie. Or in my definition, exaggerate the truth. Who would know?

"Uh…Truth." I finally spoke, ending the suspenseful wait.

Crisis averted as a small degree of relief came over me. Fibbing to my best friend might not be the right, but at least, it'd be easy.

Besides... what embarrassing question could she ask?

Apparently, one of them was "The new teacher is mean to everyone but you and Skulls… so what's your secret? No, scratch that, what are Skull Boy's methods? Name three!"

Well, you can still lie, ya know?

"Cease and desist, I say." Poe interrupted before I could even utter the first syllable. "Not that I trust you but…"

He darted out of the room, returning with a fairly large device, setting it up directly in front of me, tapping a microphone positioned right smack in my face. Several lights on the device blinked, and a paper readout steadily fed out a long sheet of steady wavy lines.

"Just for arguments sake."He grinned.

Len tapped the device, unsure of what it had to do with the game. "Uh… Poe ? What the heck is this thing?" he asked.

"A voice stress analyzer." He announced proudly, grinning at me.

"Exactly." Poe nodded. "Sorry for the interruption. Go right ahead, Ruby." He smirked.

My vision drifted between Iris and the lie detector. I was going to have to word this carefully.

"Well…uh…um... he sits right in the middle of the room and the teacher won't suspect him to be doing something behind or see what he is fiddling with if he was seated at the front of the classroom..." I began pathetically, searching for the right words.

It was like trying to disarm a bomb. Snip the wrong wire, or in this case, choose the wrong word, and boom! Though, Skulls' rage had far much more destructive potential than any explosive, especially if it was all directed at just one person. I tried to see the lie detector's results. No buzzer, no kind of corrective noise, and the readout line was still steady. So far, so good.… two more to go...

"And... er... he's usually learning from people's mistakes..."

One more...!

"And, well, er... he's related to a long line of teacher's pets?"

Hehe, well, at least the game stopped!

Thing is since Iris knows, she's now attempting to get a dog... or should I say, werewolf... and Skull Boy seriously believed that he was related to a long line of teachers' pets and well... the teachers think that he can brew a mean coffee...


	5. Chapter 5

_**31st January 2014**_

I'm so upset that I can barely write! I've been in my room, worrying for the past 2 hours and I still don't have the slightest idea of what I'm going to do about the situation!

Sorry, I must have been applying too much pressure on my pen until I ran out of ink for a moment. Now, where was I? Oh yes, I remember now.

It was finally the last day of the examinations, with a Science paper in the afternoon so my friends and I were meeting early to revise together at the school's library. A flurry of black and crimson red appeared out of nowhere like a sandstorm and whisked me away for school with a few offhanded apologies to the people, lampposts and pitcher plants that were in our way... including **_her_** whose name is too scary to be mentioned.

Yet, instead of screaming **_her_** head off, **_she_** actually just dismissed us. At first, I was quite concerned but Iris reminded me that failing Kinematics was a dire situation. So I did not give it any more thought as we dived into a morning of feverish revision.

That is, until we took a lunch break.

My friends headed for the cafeteria first while I went to the bathroom to freshen up. I took a short stroll to the Ladies as I ran through the science facts in my head, desperately pushing thoughts of the new teacher into the deepest recesses of my mind. Just as I entered and locked myself into the nearest cubicle, high heels made a rapid staccato on the wet floor covered with blackish puddles and shoe-prints.

"I have to expel that bothersome skeleton! Our plans are in jeopardy if he's still here! And I can't do anything about it, that stupid ditsy pink fairy likes him! And his records are still clean the last time I checked!"

It was **_her_**!

Maybe **_her_** name's not that scary, it's getting quite confusing not using **_her_** name...

**_(I'll say – Iris Degloom)_**

Anyway, **_she_** was talking about... him!

Hehe, sorry, **_she_** was talking about Skull Boy.

In my hiding spot, I silently hoped— no, prayed that Ms Glinda had refused to do so. I mean, after all, he is a straight A student, topping the cohort every single year. And he's cute... and sweet... thoughtful... practical...

Point is, she must have gone crazy if she had agreed. Thankfully, while I had IMH on speed-dial, she apparently had not lost all of her senses yet.

I know that I was not supposed to be eavesdropping on **_her_** private conversation and tried to mind my own business in the bathroom stall. I just happened to feel like climbing up on the toilet seat, standing on my tippy toes, and peeking over the top to get some fresh air while she continued talking,

"Then again, if I showed how violent he is, maybe... just maybe..., I've already been so sweet to him, he won't even know it."

**_(No. Way. Girl. – Iris Degloom)_**

And **_she_** was doing that. Once the lessons began, **_she_** started picking on him for the smallest mistakes and focused on him, and him only. A badly erased word on our source-base skilled test, a missing date on his essay on the Trojan war, a slightly dog-eared workbook submitted late– all of the above, or none, it didn't matter. He was sure to be called out for this minor transgression or that.

At first, it was just a whole lot of telling-offs. Then it became exercise books thrown out of third-story classroom, or page and pages of pencilled work that were torn out and flung outside. Each of us tried to stand up in our... own, unique way.

Misery. Through a recount of how her great nana's great best friend being a bully and how she eventually fell off her seat and dislocated her hip.

Iris, Frank and Len. Through singing a song of how it is not nice to use violence while dancing and getting a flash mob.

Last but not least, I just got up and was about to make an epic, hopefully pithy speech when **_she_** suddenly grabbed a fistful of my hair. I guess she really hates Frank and Len's electric guitar. Not only did I apparently wasted an entire week's savings on my haircut, this ignited Skulls' rage.

"NO!" A foreign, dark voice ripped into the air. I opened my eyes and was greeted with the sight of her struggling. By then, my hair was set free and I had time to gingerly massage my aching head until I saw her.

Her arms and legs moved with grotesque rigidity, as if she were nothing more than a marionette under the control of a skilled puppeteer. Terrified, the witch screamed at us to help her even while she continued marching to the door towards an undetermined destination. Two of my classmates flanked her sides and reflexively grabbed hold of her arms, but were subsequently dragged along for their trouble. She did not stop…or, at least, she couldn't.

"What's wrong with you?" One of them cried, finding that everything he and the other werewolf did to slow her down resulted in them being pulled or mowed over entirely.

"I can't control myself! Please, do something! Don't let me die! Please, don't let me die!" She panicked before she began making an odd choking sound and her eyes rolled to the back of her skull, starting an anguished keening. And then, abruptly went silent.

Skulls flicked his wrist deliberately so that, when she attempted to stop him, her was arm locked in place and twisted behind her back. Very soon that arm was joined by her other. He forced her to her knees then, holding her to the ground with a sneer of satisfaction. It only took a few seconds for me to overcome her horrified shock, but by then, the teacher was flattened against the earth, her arms and legs flattened in a spread-eagled position.

"If I wanted, I could burst every bone in your body," Skulls hissed menacingly, a different skeleton, not the boy who was usually so gentle.

"You want my mercy, don't you, huh?"

She was barely able to incline a nod but her wide, terrified eyes screamed for it. Her unspoken pleading was met with detached resolve. "I'm afraid it's a little too late for that."

Mere breaths before he could deliver the killing blow, however, my mouth worked faster than my brain as I frantically called for him to stop. He whipped around, releasing his grip on her so that she fell forward to the ground in an insensible heap. I though he had stopped but he started to grab hold of his sagging form again. I moved in quickly to frame his skull in her hands, recognizing the glazed look in his eyes only too well.

"Skull Boy… Skulls, look at me," I whispered in a desperate bid to reason with me, "look at me! This isn't you, okay! This isn't like the day you were threatened! You don't have to do this. You don't want to do this."

For one frightening moment, I wasn't sure that I was getting through to him at all. The witch continued to hover mid-air, only inches from being thrown out of the window. If he chose to throw her over, everyone present knew that the young (but ugly) woman would not survive. But then, without warning, the murderous haze of hatred and rage cleared from his eyes and he gradually relaxed into me. He dropped her to the ground, dissolving into wracking sobs as he did. Yet, I wilted with relief as he crumpled into my arms, so intent on holding him that I was only vaguely aware of Principal Glinda firing **_her_** for good.


	6. Chapter 6

**_8th February 2014_**

Although it has been a few days since that fateful event, the shadow of what had happened still haunted the household. As much as I love shadows, I had to ask my dark friends to leave Skull Boy alone. He may be related to a long line of actors but he was not fooling me with his personas. I walked up the stairs, surprise in hand, and knocked softly upon the door. Doom added the finishing touches on the gift just as we strained our ears to hear Skull Boy's reply.

"Come in. It's not locked." A hushed but strained voice came from the wooden façade.

It wasn't Skull Boy's usual custom to lounge in bed so late into the morning. In fact, the only time he had truly done that was in his first year here, at the Gloomsville Manor. I was instantly worried and shrill warning bells of concern sounded. The incident may have driven him right to his intense battle with a very deep and very dark depression. Something told me that my present would just make him feel worse so I tossed it away as he folded his blanket neatly, taking his own sweet time.

Once I had convinced myself that the crash I heard was just Misery taking her daily stroll, I greeted him,

"Hey, you're still in bed? Breakfast is almost finished."

Skulls frowned and squinted at me before his countenance hardened into a remote mask as he snapped at me,

"Did I miss the day you were appointed as my personal wake-up call? What do you want?"

Not a good start...

"I'm sorry, but I need to talk to you... I'm worried for you."

Maybe it was because he detected my sincerity or he was too exhausted to argue. Whatever the reason, he approached me in a drowsy shuffle, rubbing the sleep from his puffy eyes in the most adorable fashion.

"No, forgive me for being rude just now, please. I'll just get ready... have Frank and Len eaten all of the...?"

"Save a fresh batch of Doomcakes for ya! You're going to need a lot of energy for your walk on Doom's Island."

Just as the cuckoo clock nailed on the wall struck seven and the skeletal bird started chirping, Doom and I had flourishingly prepared a breakfast set for royalty: ham and cheese omelets, my attempt at Belgium waffles, and the aforementioned Doomcakes. It had been no small task to assemble the meal and wrestle the cart through the narrow passageways but that was worth it as a tiny smile worked its way to his skull. He was practically drooling at the soporific and tempting food. However, he soon cocked his skull in confusion,

"Wait, much as the food looks great, what do you mean by 'my walk'?"

Thus, I corrected myself while sampling the waffles, "Sorry, wrong words. I meant to say 'our walk'. Hope you can keep up with me. It's okay is your pace is way different from mine."

I really did say the wrong words. Now I'm completely exhausted from a totally unnecessary workout session I had just received. Every single stand of my hair is wet with sweat.

I know that I have made getting in shape for my first year of high school to be a 'must achieve' goal but that still does not justify a certain skeleton's actions for suddenly changing the leisurely walk into an intense marathon at the last minute. Doom's instincts once again saved her from certain torture as she insisted on taking her hourly nap.

Note to self: Never challenge the possible descendant of the great Sir Roger Banister, the first person ever to have run a mile in under four minutes.

My bony friend was determined to achieve the same feat but even after running there rounds, he could not break his record of four minutes and zero point one seconds. So you can forget about me.

During the fifteen minutes spent on catching our breaths, there was a wall of dead silence between us. It seemed like an eternity as we sat in the edge of the island, regaining sensation in our limbs on the craggy bluffs that loomed above the pitching gray-green sea. Soon, I finally made an attempt to address him. Apparently, he had the same idea and we executed our plans simultaneously. After giggling like a couple of maniacs, he invited softly,

"You first."

"Well, I was hoping to find out... how things are?"

Smooth Ruby. _Really smooth_.

"Kinda well considering how I only have a week of detention and no teachers who want to kill me."

"And I kinda know how you're feeling but just to be doubly sure, correct me if I'm wrong as I summarize your emotions— you feel horrible."

"Now, if only you did well in Social Studies, I'd say you're a straight-A student!" He joked briefly, suddenly whipping out a microphone and putting on his best comedian voice. Still, his fingers fumbled clumsily with a piece of string that had come undone on his green exercise jacket and my mind automatically compared him to Doom when a giant ball of yarn was unleashed.

And so did my thoughts of him. How he was my friend and as a friend, he meant the world to me. The world has done nothing but shelter its inhabitants even when some don't deserve it. Some of them even seek to destroy it. Thus, the planet had no choice but to defend itself. However, they are some who can and will help him. He was not alone anymore.

I told him as much, which strangely enough provoked an altogether rare reaction. Skull Boy actually blushed.

"Ugh, Ruby," He grunted, "You know it makes me itchy when you lay your feelings bare like that. But I'm willing to let this time slide because I've been such a jerk to you lately."

I smiled, trying my best not to shiver. Oh, the tingles he sent down my spine... it also didn't help that the air suddenly became colder. "Thank you, _SKULLY_."

"Shut up."

He then slipped off his emerald jacket and held it out to me expectantly, I could only gaze in awe. When I didn't move to take the jacket from his grip, being the paralyzed fool that I was, he leaned forward and loosely hung the piece of clothing over my shoulders. And well, I was suddenly very aware of the fact that my heartbeat was audible to myself, sounding both heavy and abnormal. Maybe it would have helped if I hadn't feel his breath on me neck, or if I wasn't able to inhale his scent, and I would probably be a lot better off if his wasn't so firm yet warm. Time somehow came to a halt around us, and I felt the air shift, felt all the pieces just clicking into place at the gesture. And then, I could only take in his expression, an expression foreign on his face. A look I had never seen before, one I couldn't quite place.

Well, at least my **_SKULLY_** is back. Feeling better than ever...

Oh, he just sneezed so adorably...!


End file.
